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Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Alderman's Father Found Guilty of Supply ID Fraud To Illegal Aliens

A sad day when one is given the gift of citizenship and goes for the money and the illegal activity portion. I wonder how much of the money went into his son's campaign?

And who can forget that when the raid took place, Mexican activists took to the streets in protest??????

=================================================================================Elias Munoz, father of Chicago Ald. Ricardo Munoz, was sentenced today to four years in prison for his role in a fake ID ring.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer called his role as a photographer in a Little Village fake ID ring "pretty significant."

During a two-hour hearing, government attorneys linked Munoz's pictures to other ID scams in Chicago.

"He took those photos knowing or just recklessly disregarding that they would obtain, by those photos, illegal documentation," Pallmeyer said.

Munoz, 63, who owned a photo studio inside a Little Village outdoor mall where the international ring was based, pleaded guilty last year to charges of criminal conspiracy.

After an additional two years probation, Munoz, a legal Mexican immigrant, is likely to be deported, Pallemeyer said.

Federal prosecutors estimated Munoz earned $180,000 a year through the illegal photos. They also revealed IRS reports showing Munoz failed to report his income from 2001 through 2006, avoiding taxes for those years.

"He was up to his eyeballs in this for years and years and years," argued Assistant U. S. Attorney Andrew Porter.

Munoz, frustrated by the portrayal, fumed to reporters during a hearing recess that he was being treated unfairly.

In a statement to Pallemeyer, he wept openly, pleading for forgiveness, before being allowed to leave the federal courthouse and report to prison voluntarily in the next few weeks.

"If I did something wrong, I'm sorry. Forgive me," Munoz said in a mixture of English and Spanish. He claimed he ran a legitimate business.

The photo studio, Nuevo Munoz Foto, shut down shortly after federal agents broke up the fake ID ring during an April, 2007 raid.

The ring's leaders are being tried for murder for allegedly ordering that a competitor be shot to death in Mexico.

1 comment:

Another reason why we need to rid this country of all illegal aliens.They bring nothing to this country, they only take away from it.Ask yourself, is it really a smart idea to give amnesty to 12-20 million illiterates when this country is broke and fighting with massive unemployment? Yea, this country would truly join the ranks of thirdworld nations if amnesty was ever given.

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Arlene Jones

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Arlene Jones' Biography

I was born in Chicago. I grew up in Cabrini Green. I attended Wells Sr High, the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle where I majored in Spanish and minored in Education. I have a diploma in Computer Programming.

I moved to Austin when I purchased a home here. I have two children.

I have been active in the community since moving here. I started with my blockclub. In the early 1990s, I worked with several people to try and form the North Austin Homeowners Association. I even went on patrol with a group of people who had a walkie talkie car patrol of the neighborhood.

As with most programs in the AA community, many factors led to the demise of those groups. Lack of support from elected officials was at the top of the list.

There were several people who had a group and we met out of DaVinci Manor. DaVinci Manor was at the corner of North Ave and Central where Walgreen now stands. Again there was very little interest in saving that building and our community lost a beautiful hall.

I have protested the state of the Central Ave bridge. I worked with Leola Spann and did many a smoke out including one in the 1500 block of North Lorel where drug paraphenalia layed on the ground. I have over the years here in Austin worked with the following groups at one point or another:
Northeast Austin Organization (Mary Volpe, Tom Hosea);
Northwest Austin Council;
Mad Dads;
Brotherhood of Black Men;
Westside Health Authority;
Nobel Neighbors;
Every Block A Village;
Beat 2532;
25th District Housing Committee;
WVON Volunteer;
African American Employees at the Merchandise Mart (AAEMM);
Lafollette Park Advisory Council;
Garfield Park Conservatory Advisory Council;
Westside Executive Advisory Council;
Austin Landmark Cultural Center;
Concerned Citizens of East Garfield Park

and so many others that it gets hard to remember.

Arlene Jones

QUOTE OF THE DAY

If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing. -- Malcolm X